Why You Need to Watch A&E’s Violent, Gripping ‘Roots’ (Review)

[Spoiler alert: This review contains plot details from all four episodes of A&E’s “Roots,” not just Sunday’s premiere.]

It’s impossible to oversell the impact that the original ABC miniseries “Roots” had on television, and America, when it was originally broadcast in January 1977. It grew over its eight consecutive nights into a nationwide phenomenon, telling the stirring and enlightening saga of the slave Kunta Kinte and his African-American descendants.

By the time the epic miniseries based on the landmark 1976 Alex Haley historical novel had concluded, 130 million people had watched. That was not a preordained result. Then-ABC programming honcho Fred Silverman had so little confidence in the project that he decided to schedule it over successive evenings, rather than weekly, believing it better to get it over with quickly since the show was going to flop anyway. Instead, “Roots” became the small screen’s first multi-part scripted event, attracting a staggering two-thirds of all viewing households.

Nearly 40 years later, the television universe scarcely resembles the one into which that first “Roots” landed. And the ambitious four-night, eight-hour, $50 million re-imagining of the tale that premieres Memorial Day night at 9 p.m. as a simulcast on the History, A&E and Lifetime networks is much different too.

In the anything-goes ethos that now defines broadcast entertainment, this “Roots” is significantly bloodier, more brutal and more relentlessly harrowing than was its elegant, powerful predecessor. Particularly during the first pair of what are a quartet of interwoven two-hour stories, the viciousness, gore and perpetual sense of foreboding render the four nights quite the intense, gut-wrenching slog. Whereas the original was by necessity and design somewhat more visually restrained, this edition packs all the subtlety of a sledgehammer encased in razor wire.

This is not, however, to imply that the new “Roots” isn’t an enormously gripping viewing experience in its own right. It’s that and more. It’s simply not nearly the same kettle of fish. Too, that it arrives at this distinct moment in America – of Black Lives Matter, of the nation’s first African-American President, and of profound racial division — lends the project an added poignance that illuminates its sheer power. It’s also spectacularly shot and, with but an exception or two, exceptionally well-acted.

Like its predecessor, “Roots” follows the narrative of Kunta Kinte (played with white-hot passion by Malachi Kirby), a fiercely proud Mandinka warrior who is captured in Gambia and sold into slavery. The first night, directed by Phillip Noyce, is energetic in showcasing Gambian warrior-training life and unrelenting in its depiction of the horrors of the African Middle Passage slave ships bound for America as well as the lingering shame of such gross inhumanity. Forrest Whitaker is his usual exceptional self in his portrayal of a slave fiddler whose musical talent buys him a (slightly) better captive life – until it doesn’t.

The second installment, from Mario Van Peebles, focuses on Kunta’s unyielding adjustment to slave life in Virginia as “Toby” and his eventual adjustment to marrying and fathering a daughter named Kizzy (exceptional work from E’Myri Lee Crutchfield) until everything, as usual, descends into oblivion.

It is in the third segment, directed by Thomas Carter, that “Roots” hits a few rough patches. That’s particularly true in its delineation of the relationship between slave/plantation boss Tom Lea (an exceptionally creepy performance from Jonathan Rhys Meyers) and Chicken George (theatrical brilliance from Rege-Jean Page), the son of Kizzy (played as an adult with coiled rage by Tony winner Anika Noni Rose). There is one scene in particular that is so unnecessarily graphic that it crosses the line into gratuitousness.

The final chapter details the African American participation in the Civil War, and the sure hand of director Bruce Beresford elevates it with a memorable flair – along with Laurence Fishburne (portraying Alex Haley) and Anna Paquin as slave owner fiancée Nancy Holt.

While it may seem that American audiences have been inundated by slave stories of late between “12 Years a Slave” (2013) and “Amistad” (1997), in fact it’s really not such an overabundance at all. And when you consider that “Roots” stirred the populace well over a generation ago, this reboot is not only enormously timely but some might say long overdue. It ultimately goes to great lengths to showcase the depth of the unspeakable atrocity that was institutionalized servitude and the ongoing heartbreak that is racism.

“Roots” is at once a more intimate and explicit document than was its forerunner and no less compelling, if you can endure the harshness of the spectacle that accompanies it. It is at once difficult to watch and impossible to ignore. And like the first edition, it educates and enthralls in equal measure, grabbing hold of our eyes and heart and never letting go.

Who's Winning 'Game of Thrones': Top 20 Power Rankings After Episode 6 (Photos)

With no deaths and major characters like Jon, Sansa, and Tyrion absent on this week's episode, it was a bit difficult to form our "Game of Thrones" power rankings. Still, the lower half of the rankings saw several characters get swapped out for others who made their return to the spotlight this week, while those involved with the affairs at King's Landing either shot up our list or took a big drop, depending on whether they're keen on the Faith Militant working with the Crown.

20.) Walder Frey (Last week's ranking: not ranked) Lack of Ramsay leaving you with surplus bile? Don't worry, the creep who planned the Red Wedding is back, and he's planning to use Edmure Tully to retake Riverrun from the Blackfish. Until a sword finally goes through Walder's cold black heart, he gets a spot on our rankings.

19.) Samwell Tarly (NR) -- Sorry, Daddy Tarly. Your son has more guts than you'd care to admit. Like Ferris Bueller and Cameron Frye stealing the Ferrari, Samwell and Gilly have swiped House Tarly's Valyrian great sword Heartsbane for use against the White Walkers. Hope Sam knows how to swing that thing.

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18.) Benjen Stark (NR) -- Bran's without his heavyweight buddy and his direwolf. He's a dead boy walking, right? Nope! In comes his dear uncle Benjen with a flaming mace to save the day. The man also known as Coldhands will have plenty of time to catch up with his nephew, as it now falls to him to get Bran ready to fight the White Walkers.

17.) Cersei Lannister (10) -- "Our two ancient houses face collapse because of your stupidity," says Olenna Tyrell to Cersei in the preview for next week's episode. Indeed, Cersei's failed attempt to regain power sends her tumbling down our rankings, and now she has to rely on Jaime to find someone who can bail them out.

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16.) Davos Seaworth (13) -- Davos takes a slide as he remains idle this week, but he'll be back next week to continue helping Sansa prepare for war.

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15.) Brienne of Tarth (18) -- Brienne is currently en route to Riverrun to find Ser Brynden Tully, right as the Freys are planning to finish the job they started at the Red Wedding. Brienne potentially holds the fate of the Starks in her hands, and she may have to use both her sword and her words to bring the Blackfish up North to help Sansa reclaim Winterfell. Because of her newfound responsibility, she jumps in our rankings.

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14.) Jorah Mormont (9) -- Jorah is off to parts unknown to find a way to cure his greyscale. Perhaps he will return to Meereen and find some help from Kinvara? He should act fast.

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13.) Tyrion Lannister (12) -- Tyrion did not appear this week, so we have yet to see how exactly he's going to move forward now that Kinvara's around and the freed slaves in Meereen are becoming more resentful of him. Tyrion is walking a tightrope right now… but then again… when is he not?

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12.) Petyr Baelish (14) -- Despite not appearing in this episode, Littlefinger jumps up a couple of spots for revealing last week that House Tully is making a comeback. Turns out he wasn't just trying to schmooze the furious Sansa. He was indeed giving her intel that could mean the difference between victory and defeat.

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11.) The Waif (11) -- The Waif has looked down at Arya with disdain and swatted her silly with a staff. Now her belief that Arya's not fit for her assassin's order has been proved correct, she's going to make Arya pay for her failure with her life.

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10.) Arya Stark (16) -- A girl DOES have a name! Arya realized that she's not about that Faceless Men life, refusing to kill her assigned target and realizing that even monsters like Cersei deserve some amount of sympathy. (And she's a flat-out fan of the actress playing Cersei in the stage-play-within-the- show.) Now she's got Needle back, and she's going to need it in her upcoming fight against the Waif.

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9.) Yara Greyjoy (5) -- Yara's still on the run from the Iron Islands and was absent this week. On the next episode, we will see what her next move is and how she plans to include Theon and his desire for revenge against Ramsay in her grand schemes.

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8.) Jon Snow (8) -- Another idle character. Jon stays where he was ranked last week, but next time, we'll see Jon finally get up and try to rally the wildlings for battle with Tormund's help. After Olly's betrayal, maybe some trust from the people he was once told were his enemies will help Jon reclaim his fighting spirit.

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7.) Margaery Tyrell (NR) -- Doesn't it seem rather odd that Margaery is suddenly so faithful to the High Sparrow and the Seven after seeing her urge Loras to keep fighting? No, she knows exactly what she's doing. Marge is pretending to follow the High Sparrow to protect Loras, all while manipulating the Faith Militant, the Lannisters -- and even her own grandmother.

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6.) Euron Greyjoy (3) -- Euron got high marks last week for taking control of the Salt Throne, but he will slowly slide down the rankings until he strikes back at Yara for taking his fleet. It may take time for him to build up the resources to do so.

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5.) Ramsay Bolton (4) -- He's missing again for the second straight week, but only drops a spot because of all the power and evil he has accumulated up to this point. We may not see Ramsay again until he and Jon do battle.

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4.) Bran Stark (6) -- Yes, it does seem that a connection is being made between Bran's powers and King Aerys' madness. Now that his long-lost uncle has taken over as his mentor and guardian, maybe Bran will actually listen to his elders for once and use his powers to help fight the White Walkers instead of aiding them and allowing them to kill fan-favorite characters.

3.) Sansa Stark (1) -- Sansa remained idle this week, but only drops a couple of spots because her decision to send Brienne to Riverrun is proving to be a crucial one. In next week's episode, she'll be back to plotting against Ramsay.

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2.) High Sparrow (7) -- It seemed almost certain that Marge's penance walk was going to end in bloodshed. Instead, the High Sparrow shuts down the Lannister coup with an easy smirk. Now he has Tommen completely on his side, but someone might want to inform him of the dangers of failing to separate church and state.

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1.) Daenerys Targaryen (2) -- Some may be sick of Daenerys' constant locker-room speeches, but just look at Drogon! He's healed up and even bigger now, and if Tyrion's info about dragons is true, Drogon won't stop growing. The time may finally be near for Dany to actually start doing something.

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The High Sparrow, Margaery, and Arya move up in our “Game of Thrones” rankings as Cersei Lannister takes a tumble

With no deaths and major characters like Jon, Sansa, and Tyrion absent on this week's episode, it was a bit difficult to form our "Game of Thrones" power rankings. Still, the lower half of the rankings saw several characters get swapped out for others who made their return to the spotlight this week, while those involved with the affairs at King's Landing either shot up our list or took a big drop, depending on whether they're keen on the Faith Militant working with the Crown.